


Miraculous Strays

by OverlordK



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe - Cats, Foster Fails, Marinette rescues cats, Plagg Cares, Plagg and Tikki are cats, Plagg is a Little Shit, They Don't Start out With Their Original Names, Tikki is Much Nicer, bear with me here
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-03
Updated: 2017-04-03
Packaged: 2018-10-14 08:19:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10532553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OverlordK/pseuds/OverlordK
Summary: Chance Noir (Plagg) and La Petite Dame (Tikki) are strays that have become very good at conning humans out of food. They're pretty happy with their lives and have no intentions of changing that. Marinette has made it her life mission to cats off the street, particularly the difficult ones. Not surprisingly, she sets her sites on the pair of infamous 'cat-burglars'





	

**Author's Note:**

> Two important things to know going into this:  
> 1- Plagg and Tikki don't start out with their true names in this. They only have the monikers that they've earned from being pair of little food thieves. Marinette is the on to name them.  
> 2- For the intents and purposes of this, and future stories, Alya is already an established part of Marinette's life.

He’d been at this awhile now, at least it felt like good stretch of time for him. It was at least long enough that the humans, well the ones that bothered with him anyway, to have given him a name. His dark coat and prickly personality, he had earned the moniker ‘Chance Noir’. Somewhere along the way, he had picked up a sweet natured partner with big, blue eyes that he had heard being referred to as ‘La Petite Dame’. From what he could tell, she had recently lost her former human. Her’s had apparently been a kind old woman that had treasured her, but the woman had passed on, and ‘La Petite Dame' had been cast out by the rest of the family. The black cat had found her hiding near an upscale set of apartments and, seeing that he had known where to get food, ‘La Dame' had followed ‘Chance’ and stuck close to him since. If he bothered to ponder it, he might have been confused about why his partner stuck around him. Humans didn’t like him all that much, which was fine with him; he wasn’t a big fan of them either. His partner though, they seemed to like her considerably more. This made sense, what with her charm and friendly personality; something that he himself never bothered with. Given her popularity, he was pretty sure that she could get a new human with no trouble, but she seemed to prefer keeping close to him though, so that's how it stayed.

They made a good team, playing a game of ‘Pet and Paw’; ‘Dame' would make nice and cuddle up to someone while he grabbed whatever food they had. Locals had quickly become wary of the pair, but the felines still did well amongst tourists. Living in a highly populated city that had plenty of humans traveling to it was advantageous to them. Life was good for them. As a young tom, he had been caught and ‘fixed’ and Dame had had the same treatment as a house cat, so mating seasons never bothered them. So long as they were careful about open areas, grabbing hands, and stayed mindful of the weather, all was well. They continued like this for awhile, thefts, human dodging, some general mayhem that He probably enjoyed a bit too much. Confident that they were invincible, they might have gotten too cocky, or at least he did. That's probably how the girl found them.

Rain had been a miserable nuisance of theirs for several days. Food was difficult to find since most humans seemed to hate the weather as much as the cats did and they had had to resort to finding scraps behind restaurants. That's where she found him and his partner. He had to give the girl credit; she wasn't as loud as some of the big humans that had come after them . Apart from the distinctive splash and squeak that accompanied her steps through the puddles, the girl didn't make too much noise. In fact, she didn't even try to get all that  close. ‘Chance Noir’ and ‘La Petite Dame’ had found some old crates behind a kitchen to hide beneath, keeping them only somewhat dry. From their makeshift den, they watched with guarded interest as the girl slowly approached them with something bulky under one arm, while she juggled a bag and umbrella with the other.

“Hello there,” the girl crooned softly as she set her things down and crouched to look into the crate. There was enough space that the cats could easily escape if the human tried to grab at them, but the girl made no attempt to get any closer. Instead she lowered herself further to the ground, ignoring the water that soaked her hand and knees and the rain that now fell on her because she had set aside her umbrella. Moving slowly, so as not to startle them, the girl crept closer so that she was on eye level with the cats and continued speaking in a soft voice, her smile gentle and her eyes kind. “I'm Marinette, and I promise not to try and grab you. I've heard a lot about you from some of the other rescuers that I talk to. We like to help kitties and doggies find homes, and I've heard that the two of you are a handful.”

Now getting a clear look at her face, the black cat and his partner could see her bright blue eyes and freckled nose. Dark hair was plastered to her face and forehead,  causing her to haphazardly wiped it aside as she spoke soothingly. “I know the weather has been pretty nasty, so I brought… this,” she grunted as she hefted her burden and propped it in front of her with a thunk. The suddenness of the loud noise startled the cats, causing them to hiss, ‘Chance’  taking a swipe at the bulky object, almost catching Marinette’s hand in the process.

“Sorry, kitties, sorry,” she whispered, falling back to keep out of swiping distance. Seeing how close the strays were to bolting, Marinette quickly set up the shelter she had brought for them, positioning it behind the crates that the cats were hiding in. Popping and a fishy smell caused a twitchy nose and whiskers to poke through a loose slat in the crate, and Marinette giggled. “I think you'll like this better than where you currently are. I'll  leave you be for now,” she announced, walking back around to retrieve her umbrella.

Squeaking footfalls that fade in distance and a farewell from the month of the alley indicated that the girl had finally left. Even after she had was gone, some time passed before the rain subsided enough for either of the cats to venture out and investigate. ‘Dame’, being the one more trusting of humans, was the first to leave the relative dryness of the crate, followed closely by a wary ‘Chance. What they found was a sturdy box, about the size of theirs and hidden from view of the casual observer, perched on a set of stubby legs that kept it off the ground. A heavy material covered the opening and, upon further exploring, they discovered that the makeshift den was lined with something soft and dry.

Dame gratefully flopped down against the side of the box, purring as she rubbed herself dry. Still wary, Chance stayed close to the entrance, just inside to keep away from the still damp weather as he sniffed around the new space. It didn't smell like the traps he remembered from kitten-hood, and checking along the edges and entrance, his nose and whiskers bumped into nothing but smooth wood. In the back corner, Dame discovered a can of tuna that she gave a few cursory sniffs before digging into. A round of his own careful smelling and nosing was done by Chance before pulling the can away to eat his fill. Deciding that it was safe enough, Chance Noir and La Petite Dame stayed the night in the construct that had been left for them, curling up together in a restful sleep.

 

* * *

 

 After that dreary night, the box that Marinette had left was as close to a home had either of the cat had had in awhile. It kept them safe and warm during the rainy season, and was surprisingly ignored by the other humans that frequented their alley. The only human that seemed to bother them now was the girl. No matter what nature brought, Marinette visited them everyday. Fresh food, usually canned fish, accompanied her, which almost guaranteed the cats to be around during her trips.

Sometimes, she would have a container that smelled like the restaurant they were hidden behind. On those days, Dame would cuddle up in Marinette’s lap, while the girl share her meal and pet the cat. Chance, still not quite trusting the girl, would sit on a crate near them and loudly demand his share. During her visits, she would feed them, pet them if she could, and talk to them. She talked a lot, telling them all about her day. They heard about her best friend and many complaints about needles and cloth and some girl that she really didn’t like. Chance wasn't sure what most of it meant since he didn't always pay attention and Dame didn't quite get it even though she did.

Having a human changed more than just where food came from and the location of where they slept. Suddenly, the cats had new names. After some point, Marinette decided that she didn't like the one that the strays had been stuck with. Dame became ‘Tikki’, which the cat accepted with a purr and headbutt to prompt further ear scratching. Chance was dubbed as ‘Plagg’, which he protested loudly until Marinette fished a small wedge of cheese out of a pocket of her bag and offered it to him. Cheese was one of the secrets to Marinette’s success with the otherwise elusive felines. Anytime the girl wanted to get close to both cats, she would offer some cheese the grouchy tom and use it to distract him while she cleaned up their box den, or pulled burrs out of fur, but that was the closest that she could ever get to him.

Even with the secret of cheese in her arsenal, Marinette could never do more than lightly graze her fingers along Plagg’s sleek coat. Anytime that she tried to scratch behind his ears or under the chin, the tom would shy away or bat at her hand. Marinette understood that he was pretty close to feral and was unlikely to trust any human, so she kept her distance, but it still didn’t stop her from trying time and time again to pet him and give him the affection that she gave Tikki. It was slow going, but she persisted. She got as far as a single, gentle swipe of the hand down his back, which she was proud of, until she had a particularly bad day.

Alya, her best friend in all of Paris, had been out sick that day. A lot of Marinette’s worst days seemed to happen when Alya was gone. Chloe had taken some particular pleasure in making fun of her design book, which she’d been stupid enough to leave on her desk. On top of that, she’d ripped her favorite jacket and had her lunch run over. She was grateful that her bag had been untouched and that she still had her homework and food for her cats. It was a pleasant sight, them running towards her as she pulled out a box of chopped chicken. Tikki purred and lovingly rubbed against her shin, and Marinette gave her a watery smile as she sat and joined them in the alley, sliding against the wall tiredly. Without thinking, she reached out to scratch Plagg behind the ears, closing her eyes as she sought comfort.

Stinging from the swipe she received from Plagg on the back of her hand was apparently Marinette’s breaking point. Not wanting to be caught crying in an alley, she fought the thick tears that rolled down her cheeks as she cradled her slashed hand. It was in vain though. The stress of the day crashed upon her and the dark haired girl quickly pulled her knees to her chest and tucked her head between them before the first sob escaped her throat.

The sudden break in emotion, especially the crying, startled Plagg. When he had first heard the soft whimper that the girl uttered, he hadn’t paid it much mind; the human made a lot of noises and this wasn’t the first time that he had had to remind her that he wasn’t to be handled. When the soft noise of pain stuttered into actual crying, he turned from his food to see the girl curled in on herself, her body shuddering with the dejection that had been thrust upon her. This was new, and unnerving for Plagg. In the time that she had become a constant in his life, the girl had always been sunny and chipper, which could be annoying, but it was something that he had grown accustomed to. Even on days where she seemed to have a weight that pulled her mood downwards, she always had a smile for him and his partner. This despair that had enveloped the girl was an anomaly. That he might have caused it agitated Plagg, his tail flicking back and forth as it reflected his irritation. He called to get the girl’s attention, but it fell on deaf ears as she continued to weep into her drawn knees, her hand clutched to her chest.

Inching closer, Plagg yowled again, but was still ignored. Right as he was about to bat at the girl’s leg, he felt a sharp nip on his ear. Turning with hackles raised, he came nose to nose with a distressed Tikki. Clearly, she didn’t think that he was going about this the right way, growling when Plagg reached out a paw again. When he tried ignoring her reprimand, the smaller stray shoved the tom from behind, causing him to stumble forward into the girl’s shins. ”Kitty?” he heard as he jumped back with a yelp, flustered and startled by the sudden contact. When he had backed up a safer distance, Plagg looked up to see a pair of red-rimmed eyes watching him. Well, at least she had stopped crying.

“I’m sorry about all the touching, Plagg. I know how much you hate it,” Marinette sniffled as she scrubbed at her face with her uninjured hand. “It’s just been a really awful day and I wasn’t thinking.” As she spoke, she pulled out a first aid kit to care for her wound. She was used to getting the banged up, both from her rescue work and how accident prone that she happened to be. While she cleaned up the cut, she also explained just how bad a day it had been.

Plagg had heard plenty of stories about the horrible human dubbed ‘Chloe’ and he wished that he could claw her instead of his human. There was also and urge to make the girl smile again, but that was normally Tikki’s job. Tikki, however, seemed to think that is was his turn to do so. It seemed to Plagg that she believed that this was his fault and that he had to fix it. Not sure how to go about comforting, Plagg padded forward, stretching up on his hind legs, resting his front paws on the girl’s legs for balance. Pausing her work, Marinette turned to watch the tom, clearly bewildered by the sudden closeness. “Um, hello,” she whispered, not sure of what to make of the new turn of events. Trying to copy things that he had seen Tikki do when she turned cuddly, Plagg gave a soft meow and tried to conjure up a rare purr.

It was as loud, awkward, and broken sounding as his normal yowling call, which shocked a laugh from Marinette. Tentatively, she reached out a hand and brushed her fingers against the side of Plagg’s face. In turn, Plagg purred even louder and shoved his head into the girl’s hand. Though still uncertain of what had caused the sudden change in the grumpy black cat, Marinette decided to enjoy the silver lining that she had be bestowed. Her happy moment became even brighter when Tikki climbed into her lap, making room for herself as she wedged herself between stomach and thighs. When Marinette lowered her legs to accommodate both cats, Plagg protested the loss of his semi-perch and pouted at Marinette’s knee until she found the sweet spot that she had discovered under his jaw.

This ardor that he was being shown was entirely new to Plagg. He has always shied away from the petting and close contact, half convinced that he would be snatched up and forced into some cramped space again like he had been in his kitten-hood. Over time though, the girl had proven that that wasn’t her intent. Even with him now pressed up against her hip, Plagg knew that the girl wouldn’t harm him in any way. They had all settled down now, Tikki curled up comfortably on one of Marinette’s legs while Plagg had made himself comfortable beside his two females. The girl had managed to keep one leg propped up so that she could balance her tablet on it. She used one hand to swipe a finger across the screen, the other one rested on Tikki’s back giving the occasional. This was probably the most content and safe that Plagg had ever felt and he decided that if he was going to have a human, it needed to be this girl.

Eventually the cozy scene was interrupted by the loud twang of a guitar riff. Both cats bolted from the sudden noise as Marinette apologized profusely while she dug out her phone. Once the awful noises ceased and Marinette was distracted by her phone, Plagg went back to the food dish intent on licking it clean (too much attention made him hungry). As he ate, Tikki joined him and Plagg kept an ear turned towards the girl.

“Hey Alya, how are you feeling… NO, today wasn’t _that_ awful… Okay, it was pretty bad… No, don’t do that. You’ll get expelled!... Look Alya, I promise that I’m fine. I went and saw my cats today and I feel a lot better.” Plagg heard a sigh and some shuffling behind him. When he turned to look, he saw that Marinette was getting ready to leave. “Yeah, I know… I know, Alya. Look, I’ll stand up to her one day, it just won’t be today. Look, I’ve got to go. Maman needs me to help with a delivery and I’ve probably been here a bit too long… Yeah, you too. Hey, just get some rest so that I can see you tomorrow… Bye. With another sigh, Marinette pressed the ‘end call’ button on her phone before stowing it away and turning her attention back to the cats. “Sorry, kitties. Looks like this is all the time I’ve got for you today. I’ll leave the chicken for you and come back tomorrow,” she promised. She then hoisted her backpack over her shoulder and bent to give each cat a scratch behind the ears before leaving.

Well, that certainly wouldn’t do. Plagg had decided that Marinette was his human, and she couldn’t just leave after he decided that sort of thing. Quickly, he finished his portion of food and urged Tikki to do the same. When both cats were done, they sprinted after the girl, calling loudly.

Marinette had made it most of the way home before she realized that she was being followed. Once she had seen how late she was, and checked the reminder about being home on time from her mother, the teen had all but sprinted back to the bakery, heedless of the felines trailing after her. Turning the last corner, Plagg managed to get under foot just enough that he tripped Marinette. She squawked as she  tipped sideways into a street lamp, catching it before she hit the pavement.

“Kitties?” she squeaked when she looks down and saw her strays surrounding her. “Y-you didn't need to follow me. I promised to be back tomorrow.” Plagg yowled and rubbed against her shin, rumbling out his broken purr. When Marinette tried making a shooing gesture to send them away, Tikki shoved her head against the hand and added her own, softer purring to the mix. “What’s this then? Are you two trying to follow me home?” she teased as she scratched under both cat’s chins. She gave them each a few more minutes of attention before one final pat and straightening up again. “I really do need to leave now… But thank you for that. I’ll see you both tomorrow, she promised before running the last block to her parent’s bakery.

 

* * *

 

Sabine was in the back room putting and order of macrons tiny boxes for a wedding. Just as she was beginning to wonder when her daughter would show up, she heard the alley door crash open and something roughly human sized hit a wall. “Welcome home, sweetie! How are your cats?” she called as she set up another box.

“They’re fine!,” Marinette called. Running water from just around the corner indicates that she’s washing up before coming into help. “I’m making real progress with them. Plagg let me pet him and even stayed close to me when I had out my tablet!”

Sabine chuckled to herself as she continued to work. She had figured that it had something to do with her recent project that had kept her daughter. Marinette knew how important it was to have these favors boxed up for the wedding reception, but Sabine knew that her daughter wouldn’t be able to resist checking on the cats that she was determined to rescue. “Well I’m glad to hear that they’re doing well. Why don’t you start staging more boxes for me while you tell me all about it,” she suggested as she moved onto another row.

“Okay,” Marinette called back as she grabbed her favorite apron off of its hook and a stack of the boxes that had been ordered for the event off the shelf. As she entered the kitchen, she stopped in her tracks, almost dropping the filigreed stack of cardboard in her hands, as she felt something soft and warm brush against her shin. The broken rumble of a purr that accompanied it caused her to squeak.

“Marinette?” Sabine called, looking not at her daughter, but down at something near her leg.

“Yes Maman?” Marinette called back, her voice strained as she tried to ignore the large, black cat that was currently butting his head against her leg.

“You’ve told me all about your cats. This little red and white one next to me is Tikki, right? What are they doing here?” Plagg chose this moment to yowl his own greeting. Looking up, Sabine smiled at the creature currently winding his way around her daughter’s legs. “And that one must be Plagg. I’d say you’ve made a great deal more that ‘progress with them.”

Shock froze Marinette in place, unable to respond until she felt Plagg leave her side. Watching the creature, and guessing where he planned to go next, Marinette dove forward to scoop the large tom up in her arms before he had a chance to jump on the table. “Uh, yeah,” she laughed awkwardly and she adjusted her hold on Plagg. Mercifully, he seemed to decide that he liked being held at the moment, because Marinette did not receive a belly full of claws for grabbing him so suddenly. “Looks like they sort of followed me home today. Do you think we can keep them?”


End file.
